E3 2011: Halo Anniversary & Halo 4

[Pygmy_Hippo]

Besides MS is started to shift focus on the Xbox to not just a games system and an all around media hub. They like to point out the fact that 40% of the time people use their 360 for non-gaming. I don't know about you but that's not a small number and it's been growing with more and more media/social features MS has added.

Add the IPTV stuff that people are talking about into the mix and you've just transformed the thing basically.

There was a rumour a while back that suggested the next Xbox would be based on an ARM core. Now that Windows 8 is being prepped for ARM and with Kinect providing a nice alternative for touch controls I wonder if MS could be planning on porting a version of Win8 to the xbox? I get the feeling that with Apples success Microsoft is moving away from it's PC-centric Windows approach. It's not too much of a stretch of imagination - it would give them a great hold over the hardware requirements, thus improving the "Windows-experience" (how much of Microsofts poor reputation is down to poorly configured hardware?) and would give them a huge advantage in the burgeoning living-room market, especially with the rumoured diamond subscription providing TV over IP.

[Noveed]

:rofl:

https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/999804-microsoft-e3-badge-hints-at-halo-star-wars-portal-reveals/page__view__findpost__p__594012144

[George P Global Moderator]

There was a rumour a while back that suggested the next Xbox would be based on an ARM core. Now that Windows 8 is being prepped for ARM and with Kinect providing a nice alternative for touch controls I wonder if MS could be planning on porting a version of Win8 to the xbox? I get the feeling that with Apples success Microsoft is moving away from it's PC-centric Windows approach. It's not too much of a stretch of imagination - it would give them a great hold over the hardware requirements, thus improving the "Windows-experience" (how much of Microsofts poor reputation is down to poorly configured hardware?) and would give them a huge advantage in the burgeoning living-room market, especially with the rumoured diamond subscription providing TV over IP.

I dunno about ARM, well, you'd still need a good performing CPU but with what nVidia is working on right now and a few years from now maybe? Hard to say though since we'll probably get a boost in specs to get all the pretty gfx we can.

[Jan Veteran]

I don't know how, but i'd love to see a JSRF remake more than anything, possibly one of the best games ever made.

[Pygmy_Hippo]

I dunno about ARM, well, you'd still need a good performing CPU but with what nVidia is working on right now and a few years from now maybe? Hard to say though since we'll probably get a boost in specs to get all the pretty gfx we can.

I was surprised when I read about ARM, seems a little at-odds with the raw horsepower approach of the xbox in the past - can't remember where I saw the original article now, but just found

http://www.ecnmag.com/blog/2011/05/soapbox/Is-ARM-Coming-to-Play-in-Games-Consoles.aspx

that's a little more recent. (sorry having problem inserting links for some reason)

As ever - pinches of salt are mandatory!! ;)

[BajiRav]

Halo CE

Halo 2

Halo 3

Halo 3:ODST

Halo Reach

And now Halo 4

If halo 4 plays substaintially different then i may be interested, (I doubt it) but this will be the 4 halo game on the 360 alone.

Th original Xbox had some of its best games before its end of life (before they killed it with the 360), The 360 has been getting progressively worse for a while now and i may as well just get a ps3/pc for the titles i want (BF3, B:AC) as MS have nothing to offer.

Halo 4 is the 4th game in the Halo original arc (aka MC arc), other two are not in the series but are in parallel timeline (yes, even Reach is). It's the 6th game in the Halo universe, that is true.

[Ayepecks]

[snip]

As ever - pinches of salt are mandatory!! ;)

I think you've got the wrong topic.

Edit: Whoops, just saw who you were responding to.

[Corris Veteran]

:rofl:

https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/999804-microsoft-e3-badge-hints-at-halo-star-wars-portal-reveals/page__view__findpost__p__594012144

Some of us guessed them both https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/999804-microsoft-e3-badge-hints-at-halo-star-wars-portal-reveals/page__view__findpost__p__594012288 :p

[BajiRav]

any bets on if they will remake HaloCE for the PC as well?

[Hell-In-A-Handbasket]

I can see the Halo Remakes being butcherd to no end.

And as far as Halo 4, wonder how long its been since the MC entered Stasis

[Alladaskill17]

any bets on if they will remake HaloCE for the PC as well?

Possibly, but we all know its an Xbox first priority woo I'm so excited for it. I loved the original on the original Xbox which died two years ago but now thanks to my girl I have a mint condition one to play SSX Tricky and other games on. Speaking of SSX looks great judging by 1 1/5 minute gameplay video.

[Corris Veteran]

Updated the first post with trailers. :D

[Aergan]

I am going to be very broke in November it seems.

Bring on Blood Gulch and Silent Cartographer!

[HawkMan]

Halo 4 is the 4th game in the Halo original arc (aka MC arc), other two are not in the series but are in parallel timeline (yes, even Reach is). It's the 6th game in the Halo universe, that is true.

Halo 4 isn't part of the 1-3 Arc. it's a new Arc with the same character from the original trilogy Arc set in the same universe. ODST and Reach however, are part of the original trilogy arc, but side stories of it.

That story Arc ended, this is a brand new Story arc, with no ironically, no Halo's :)

[BajiRav]

They've kept the old/original pistol in (Y) :D

Halo 4 isn't part of the 1-3 Arc. it's a new Arc with the same character from the original trilogy Arc set in the same universe. ODST and Reach however, are part of the original trilogy arc, but side stories of it.

That story Arc ended, this is a brand new Story arc, with no ironically, no Halo's :)

Right :blush: I meant to say that Halo4 follows the characters from original arc whereas ODST/Reach are not part of the arc because their stories have no relation to MC's arc except that ODST happened between 2 & 3 whereas Reach's timeline was a prequel.

anyone seen HD download links yet?

[Yusuf M. Veteran]

Any word on a PC version of Halo: CE Anniversary?

[BajiRav]

[Corris Veteran]

Its great they have toned down the colours, It was fine back in 2001, but I'm happy they went with a more Reach palette.

[Ayepecks]

Any word on a PC version of Halo: CE Anniversary?

Don't hold your breath.

[S00N3R FR3AK]

Ugh I saw reach stuff in the Halo CE remake. I just want better graphics same game. All that funky reach spartan stuff has no place in a real Halo game.

[Noveed]

The Halo 3 ending was kinda sad I hope MC and Cortana make it back to earth someday in this new arc.

[George P Global Moderator]

Here's some before and after screen shots of HaloCE.

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/07/halo-combat-evolved-anniversary-vs-halo-combat-evolved-fight/

[spenser.d]

More info:

We knew it was coming. We've known it was coming for a long time. So, what's the skinny? What's the story behind the Halo remake, now titled Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary? As it turns out, it's the same game we all played back in 2001. I don't mean that figuratively. The same engine that powered the first Halo is literally still thrumming underneath Anniversary.

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary (E3 2011)

As 343 Industries executive producer Dan Ayoub explained it, Anniversary actually employs two engines running simultaneously. While the game employs a new graphics engine -- specifically a proprietary engine created by Saber Interactive -- the original Halo engine still powers the actual gameplay. That is to say that every moment of gameplay, apart from some graphical tweaks, is exactly the same code used on the original Xbox.

To drive the point home, Ayoub employed a fancy trick. With a simple button press during Halo's fan-favorite Silent Cartographer mission, the new graphics fell away, revealing Halo: CE in all its original Xbox glory. It wasn't just some secret developer code, either. Much like the Monkey Island Special Edition titles, players will be able to swap between the remastered and original graphics at any time.

Still Halo after all these years.

The feature serves a dual purpose, the first being its general novelty. The other, more important purpose is to prove that Halo's classic gameplay hasn't been touched. All the weapons, enemies and environments should perform exactly as they always have. The new graphics are impressive enough and very colorful -- reminiscent of Reach or Halo 3 -- though I imagine most players will occasionally switch back to the original graphics now and then. That said, the prospect of watching a Warthog launch in HD is pretty thrilling.

Unlike the dual-engine campaign mode, Anniversary's multiplayer component -- created with help from longtime Halo contributor Certain Affinity -- is rendered entirely using the Halo: Reach engine. The multiplayer component will still be separate from Reach, however. Those playing multiplayer via Anniversary will be restricted to the seven remastered traditional Halo: CE maps (including one campaign level converted into a Firefight map). In other words, your friends playing Reach will see that you're logged into CE. That said, Anniversary will also include a voucher to download the maps directly into Halo: Reach.

Where's mah pistol?

But what about the important question? If the multiplayer utilizes the Reach engine, where does that leave the original Halo weapons? What about the Master Chief's famous engine of death, the pistol? For that matter, what if I don't want jet packs sullying my newly remastered memories?

343 Industries' Frank O' Connor wouldn't say directly whether or not the original weapons will appear in multiplayer, though he did say that the company has every intent to "respect the classic experience" and that matchmaking can be used to facilitate that. He added that we can expect more info on that front at PAX Prime later this year.

You can bet we'll be keeping our ears open come August.

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/07/halo-combat-evolved-anniversary-preview-combat-revolved/

Can't wait for this game!

[PL_ Veteran]

Something about CE doesn't look right. I don't know.

[Ayepecks]

Something about CE doesn't look right. I don't know.

It's literally the exact same game with a new graphics engine running on top. You can press a button and it's the old Halo with those graphics.